First Impressions
Chiara, Sam, Sarah and Tyler go to KCC
Sam and Tyler (Automotive) and Sarah and Chiara (Hospitality & Tourism) from Box Hill Institute write about their first impressions as exchange students arriving in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA.
KCC's Iron Chefs
I confess that I was not expecting too much to be gained from attending classes at Kirkwood Community College as we were only visiting for just over two weeks. However, it seemed it was the mission of Chefs Dave, David, Marjorie and Janelle to expose me to and include me in the highlights of all their classes.
The Garde Manger dinner was very exciting to witness; we have
nothing like it at Box Hill Institute. I was able to assist the other students
with the production of their menu items and taste them all too!
(Chiara)
The green Midwest
My first thoughts on arrival in the Midwest, Cedar Rapids, IA, were what
a very clean, beautiful city. The trees were just beginning to change for
fall and the air was crisp and clean. The grass was just so green. We could
not believe that the grass on the side of the road was not brown and sun-burnt
as it is in Australia.
(Sam)
A hole-in-the-wall — Iowa style
What struck me the most was the drive through ATMs — they were everywhere.
They even had a place that had five or six in the one spot lined up like
petrol pumps at the service station. In true Aussie style we did a walk
through the ATM on a few occasions as there was one just up from our hotel.
(Sarah)
Big business in Iowa
The majority of cars in America were big — large pick ups. As our
time went on we were noticing a lot of other big thing such as the size
of pharmacies and the range of things you could purchase there. We went
to Wal-Mart which was a shock to us because of the size and also the number
of different sections. There is a bottle-shop, a gun and hunting section,
a supermarket and most surprisingly a Subway and Starbucks plus all
the usual things. Everything over in America is big and awesome!
(Tyler)
Greg Barr
Read Greg Barr's first impressions of life in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Aussie fauna
This picture was taken on our Great Ocean Road trip. It was our first encounter with Aussie animals, so we pulled to the shoulder of the road to get a better look. In the ten minutes or so that followed we saw five or six more koalas, plus a tour bus, a van and five or six cars who all pulled over to see what we were all staring into the trees for!
Mornington Peninsula
This was a great afternoon down on the Mornington Peninsula, a couple of hours from Melbourne. Anthony really made us feel welcome, and was great host. The day was filled with great food, wine and our laughs with our new Australian friends.
Around the bay
It was interesting to see some of the smaller communities around the bay where lots of people have vacation homes and where people came to surf and get away from the city. The ferry ride was a small piece in a very well organized trip and we travelled across from Queenscliff to Sorrento. We travelled on through the Mornington Peninsula before returning to Melbourne.
Federation Square
To me Federation Square represents what it represents to most people living in Melbourne — the new contemporary Melbourne. I had a couple of really nice meals in 'Fed' Square. It's a really exciting area with the ultra modern design and cool lights.
PS Greg has recently landed a position in one of Chicago's top-five restaurants.